This invention relates to spring clips and, more particularly, to such clips as are used for supporting identification badges and the like which are often required to be worn by employees of large industrial firms.
Generally, employee identification badges involve the use of metal clips by which the badges are attached to some part of the employee's clothing, commonly the shirt pocket. Such clips have heretofore been fabricated of metal parts including jaw members pivotally connected together by a pivot pin and a separate spring element which is assembled with the jaw members and pin so as to provide a pivotable spring clip which is opened against spring tension by squeezing together the outer ends of the jaw members.
Sucn prior art spring clips are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 556,209 to Quinn and 3,054,201 to Burns. While such clips have generally been satisfactory for their intended purpose, their manufacture has proved uneconomical, particularly from the standpoint of requiring hand labor for assembly of the separate components needed for the fabrication of such clips.
While U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,698,043 to Batts and 3,982,307 to Smith disclose unitary plastic clamps, the jaws of these clamps are not urged closed by spring pressure but remain closed by the engagement of interlocking latching means. For opening these clamps, the latches must be disengaged whereupon the clamps open a predetermined amount and are closed by re-engagement of the latching means. In contrast, spring clips embodying this invention may be opened against increasing spring pressure to an infinite variety of jaw open positions and closed by simply releasing the finger pressure on the outer ends of the lever arms. The spring continuously urges the jaws toward their closed position.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a unitary spring clip especially useful for the attachment of identity badges to garments.
It is another object of this invention to provide a spring clip of the above type which is uniquely adapted for injection molding in integral form.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a unitary mold spring clip which includes both a pivot member and spring portion as an integral part of the clip.